Water Allocation Plans

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:32): Today, I listened to the Minister for Agriculture get up and spruiks the benefits of agriculture and horticulture to South Australia's economy. As a member of this parliament, the minister often gets up and spruik the importance to South Australia's economy. But what he forgot to say was that last Friday irrigators had access to only 36 per cent of their water. Only 36 per cent of their livelihood is being distributed to them and many farmers will soon receive astronomical increases to their land and water NRM levies on top.

Today, the Minister for Water finally released a cost-benefit analysis on using Adelaide's desal plant to assist water offset for irrigators. The report found that River Murray allocation prices are not at a level that would make running the desal plant a cost-effective way of boosting allocations in the 2016-17 year. Effectively, this report confirmed that the state government will never run the $2.3 billion desal plant and interconnection system above eight gigalitres per annum. It did not need the desal plant in the millennium drought, so when are we going to need this huge piece of infrastructure?

What the report did not take into account was that many of our crops are permanent plantings. Water is still required now to ensure they can grow crops into the future. This is essentially a very short-sighted report. In recent months, as he announced the lowest opening water allocations for five years, many people in the Riverland have been asking: where is the Minister for Water? I did write to the minister and asked him to come to the region and speak to the people to address the concerns they have with the uncertain future, particularly with water allocations, high power prices and the ongoing taxes and levies that continue to rise.

The minister's office said, 'Yes, he is going to come up to the region. He is on his way. He will be there in a matter of weeks.' What happened was the minister then cancelled his appointment in the Riverland only for us to find out that the minister had met with the Bondi Vet, so the Bondi Vet seems to be more important than coming up and speaking to the irrigators who have just now been given a 36 per cent opening allocation. It just goes to show where his priorities are.

Many of the communities were expecting reduced allocations, with many thinking 36 per cent was too low, particularly with the inflows we have had in the catchment area over recent weeks, so what is the allocation going to be on 15 July when the next announcement comes? We wait with interest. Irrigators are frustrated. They are concerned about their future, particularly with many still feeling the effect of the real millennium drought before 2010.

Having met with the minister and his department several times, I have expressed concerns about his lack of interest, his lack of knowledge and his lack of consideration when it comes to water allocations, when it comes to NRM levies and when it comes to pipe breaks. I think what we need to see is a minister who is proactive. He needs to front up to the people. The previous water minister, the member for Colton, used to come and visit the irrigators. He used to visit the communities, and he used to give good reason why he would announce reduced allocations. This minister does not have the ability, does not have the gumption, to go up there and speak or he is just plain chicken—that is just what it is.

What I am very concerned about is there is no plan for this year's water budget. How will irrigators be guided? How will they be given good advice on scenario, weather prediction and water price forecast? Really, I am constantly appalled by the lack of care for our most productive assets—food producers—under the guidance of the water minister. Again, we have the government continuing to spruik the importance of the economic base of agriculture. We see a minister who continues to hide and will not come up regularly.

Maybe the Riverland irrigators and their communities could engage The Advertiser's cardboard cut-out and get some real answers. Maybe they could train that cardboard cut-out to come up and speak to the people of the Riverland. The government might get a better understanding of the impacts of the restrictions and NRM increases that are happening. That cardboard cut-out might even show some compassion with water pipe breaks that are currently happening. I really urge the minister to come out from behind the rock and face the people. Come out and speak to the real people. Do not just have meetings behind locked doors and speak to your friendly people who continually engage with you only.